E3 2014: ‘Halo: The Master Chief Collection’ due for Xbox One on Nov. 11

A brand new “Halo” video game won’t be released until late 2015, but the game’s titular hero, Master Chief, won’t exactly be missing in action in 2014.

Microsoft’s 343 Industries confirmed on Monday the release of “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” a long-rumored compilation of “Halo’s” first four core video games. The games will receive a next-gen makeover for the recently released Xbox One since all date to prior console generations.

The release of the anthology on Nov. 11 will also coincide with the premiere of a live-action series to be executive produced by Ridley Scott, “Halo: Nightfall.” Microsoft unveiled the “Halo” details at a press event on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, which runs Tuesday through Thursday at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Still in the works: “Halo 5: Guardians,” which is tabled for a 2015 release, and another live action “Halo” series, this one executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

A sneak peek of sorts of the former will be offered to those who purchase “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” as the game will come bundled with beta access to the multiplayer portion of “Halo 5: Guardians.”

The games of the “Halo” franchise, which collectively have generated sales of well over 50 million units, are crucial to the long-term success of Xbox One. The rush of “Halo”-related activity represents a doubling-down on expanding the narrative of Microsoft’s core brand, and will bring some star power to a relatively content-starved new platform.

“Halo: The Master Chief Collection” will retail for $59.99 and will run at 60 frames per second and at 1080p high-definition. The single-disc compilation will feature a new prologue prior to “Halo: Combat Evolved,” the first in the series, and a new epilogue after the conclusion of “Halo 4.”

“When we first started 343, we made sure we actually paved and deepened the foundation of the universe,” said Bonnie Ross, general manager of 343 Industries, which inherited the series from its creator, Bungie, prior to the release of 2012’s “Halo 4.” “I feel that’s critical to have success and people loving the universe over the next 10-20 years. This is about a universe worthy of devotion, of being able to tell hundreds of stories. At 343 we put a ton of emphasis on the fiction, the foundation.”

“Halo: The Master Chief Collection” will offer immediate access to any mission in any game of the series and on any difficulty level, and each game will run on its original engine to preserve the feel of each game. The exception will be select levels of “Halo 2,” which will receive a grander treatment as part of the game’s 10-year anniversary.

Players who purchase “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” will have access to the live-action series “Halo: Nightfall,” which is currently being filmed with director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, known for his work on the “Battlestar Galactica” TV series. Ross said Microsoft would unveil more information on “Nightfall” at July’s Comic-Con International in San Diego.

“Nightfall” is expected to air weekly beginning Nov. 11. Ross said 343 was still working out details on how “Nightfall” would be made available to those who do not opt to purchase “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” but she confirmed that “Nightfall” would lead into “Halo 5: Guardians.”

Ross said that taken together, the two projects would offer a more comprehensive take on the story of Master Chief, a technologically enhanced super soldier who has been fighting for the United Nations Space Command (UNSC).

“Halo 4″ served as one of the final major titles to be released for the Xbox 360 console before Microsoft introduced the Xbox One late last year. It also left Master Chief at a rather conflicted crossroads, ending as it did with the hero mourning the loss of Cortana, a nearly sentient artificially intelligent computer program that would appear in holographic form.

“He’s searching for himself,” Ross said. “He’s at a point of self-reflection. He’s not sure the UNSC are good or bad. He’s not sure he wants to be who he is. After having his best friend sacrifice himself, it was a turning point. He was a hero, hero and hero. And now he’s human. Who is he as a human?”

I just watched 343 at E3 announce how they are once again going to live and make money on the back of Bungie's work. The Mater Chief Collection only makes me want and look forward to the release of Destiny that much more.

I had the XBOX. I played HALO CE on it. I have bought and played ever Halo since then on 3 platforms, but I am tired of waiting on you guys to do something new.

I honestly believe that most of the audience at E3 was just as disappointed as I am based on the smattering of applause heard in response to each new announcement made by E3. Certainly the level of applause was nowhere NEAR what the other companies received at E3 when they announced their NEW and PIONEERING work for the XBOX ONE.

I don't see how you can feel that disappointed. If Halo brought out a game every year, it would become Call of Duty. Also, they are bringing back old memories that people have always wanted. It reminds them of everything they experienced throughout the Halo story. If you are not begging for this title, then you obviously haven't been struck by the Halo series at all.

It wasn't supposed to be anything groundbreaking. I dunno what you were expecting… Halo 5 got pushed back a year and this is kind of 343's way of giving us halo fans a little bit of something 'new' until 5 comes out.

It was Bungie's own decision to stop developing the halo series. You can't call it piggybacking

As for the announcement and decision, it's clearly a way to sell the new xbox. If I am correct, Xbox One does not support older xbox games. This allows their flagship game to be played on the new flagship, and inspires peoples to spend $$$. At least, that's from a capitalistic perspective.

From a halo fan's perspective, I dig it. Sounds like I'll be spending my monies on the new xbox before the end of the year.

Only other species that would remotely work would be Brutes, and even that would require some heavy remodeling of the Brute frame. One mandatory aspect of any good multiplayer is identical hit boxes for everyone. You punched your friend for picking Oddjob in Goldeneye for a very good reason, an absurd hit box compared to EVERYONE else.

If Microsoft was intelligent they'd release this collection on PC (and hell, if Sony and Nintendo would let them, the PS4 and Wii U) too thereby exposing Halo to a wider audience. I mean, if Halo 2 makes someone a fan of the series that might be what pushes them to get an Xbox One, since the new games would only be released on that platform.

What your saying conflicts itself doesn't it? Halo is an Xbox exclusive and a major reason why people would buy an Xbox one over a PS4. Why would microsoft allow their exclusive to be put on to other platforms, elimating the reason a lot of people would buy an Xbox? It would be like Nintendo allowing Pokemon games on IPhone, yes they would make some money but they would lose so much more than they gain. Halo is a well known game and I would encourage you to find a gamer who does not know of it.